She told the national audience the proposed constitutional amendment hurts North Carolina’s brand as a progressive leader, and does nothing to help fix the economy.

And while the governor struggled a bit to articulate her own personal stance on marriage equality, she said voters should understand that the ballot initiative takes away a lot of civil liberties for both gay and straight couples alike.

“It’s not about gay marriage,” Perdue said. “That is not what this issue is about. We have a statute on the books. So for the voters in North Carolina, don’t be confused. Go in there and vote NO.”